Ribbon cassette with coaxial spools on common shaft with partitioning plate for preventing contamination

Abstract

A compact ribbon cassette for dispensing and storing a ribbon or tape. The supply and take-up rolls of ribbon or tape are disposed upon a common rotatable shaft mounted for rotation within the housing. A unique chevron disposed adjacent the take-up roll and on the post-printing portion of the cassette causes the dispensed ribbon to change level and reverse direction and be presented for storage upon the take-up roll. A partitioning plate in the ribbon cassette separates the supply roll from the take-up region of the cassette. Ink particles are thereby prevented from migrating from the post-printing, take-up region of the cassette to the pre-printing, supply region thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A ribbon cassette, comprising: a housing supporting a rotatable shaft for rotation therein;   a supply roll of ribbon mounted in a supply region of said housing for rotation upon said rotatable shaft, said supply roll dispensing a quantity of ribbon;   a take-up roll for storing ribbon dispensed by said supply roll of ribbon, said take-up roll mounted in a take-up region of said housing upon said rotatable shaft above said supply roll;   a chevron disposed in said take-up region of said housing adjacent said take-up roll for changing direction and level of ribbon dispensed from said supply roll, whereby said take-up roll is able to store the dispensed ribbon of said supply roll; and   isolating means disposed between said supply and take-up regions of said housing for preventing migration of loose ink particles from said take-up region into said supply region of said housing.   
     
     
       2. The ribbon cassette as recited in claim 1, wherein said isolating means comprises a partitioning plate. 
     
     
       3. The ribbon cassette as recited in claim 2, wherein said partitioning plate comprises attachment means for securing said partitioning plate to said housing. 
     
     
       4. The ribbon cassette as recited in claim 3, wherein said attachment means for securing said partitioning plate to said housing comprises releasable attachment means. 
     
     
       5. The ribbon cassette in accordance with claim 3, wherein said supply roll is disposed on said rotatable shaft. 
     
     
       6. The ribbon cassette in accordance with claim 5, further comprising a meshing gear disposed within said housing, said meshing gear adapted to cooperate with an external meshing gear, said meshing gear receiving ribbon dispensed by said supply roll and passing said ribbon to said take-up roll, whereby said meshing gears cause the ribbon to be positively advanced without slippage in its passage through the cassette. 
     
     
       7. A ribbon cassette, comprising: a housing supporting a rotatable shaft for rotation therein;   a supply roll of ribbon in a supply region of said housing and a take-up roll in a take-up region of said housing, both of said rolls being commonly mounted for rotation upon said rotatable shaft, said supply roll dispensing a quantity of ribbon to said take-up roll;   a chevron disposed in said housing adjacent said take-up roll and said supply roll for changing direction and level of ribbon dispensed from said supply roll, whereby said take-up roll stores the dispensed ribbon of said supply roll; and   isolating means disposed between said supply and take-up regions of said housing for preventing migration of loose ink particles from said take-up region into said supply region of said housing.   
     
     
       8. The ribbon cassette as recited in claim 7, wherein said isolating means comprises a partitioning plate. 
     
     
       9. The ribbon cassette as recited in claim 8, wherein said partitioning plate comprises attachment means for securing said partitioning plate to said housing. 
     
     
       10. The ribbon cassette as recited in claim 9, wherein said attachment means for securing said partitioning plate to said housing comprises releasable attachment means. 
     
     
       11. The ribbon cassette in accordance with claim 9, wherein said supply roll is located on said rotatable shaft. 
     
     
       12. The ribbon cassette in accordance with claim 11, further comprising a meshing gear disposed within said housing, said meshing gear adapted to cooperate with an external meshing gear, said meshing gear receiving ribbon dispensed by said supply roll and passing said ribbon to said take-up roll, whereby said meshing gears cause the ribbon to be positively advanced without slippage in its passage through the cassette. 
     
     
       13. A ribbon cassette, comprising: a housing supporting a rotatable shaft for rotation therein;   a supply roll of ribbon in a supply region of said housing and a take-up roll in a take-up region of said housing, both of said rolls being commonly mounted for rotation upon said rotatable shaft, said supply roll dispensing a quantity of ribbon to said take-up roll; and   means disposed in said housing adjacent said supply and take-up rolls for changing the path of said ribbon dispensed from said supply roll, whereby said take-up roll stores the dispensed ribbon of said supply roll; and   isolating means disposed between said supply and take-up regions of said housing for preventing migration of loose ink particles from said take-up region into said supply region of said housing.   
     
     
       14. The ribbon cassette as recited in claim 13, wherein said isolating means comprises a partitioning plate. 
     
     
       15. The ribbon cassette as recited in claim 14, wherein said partitioning plate comprises attachment means for securing said partitioning plate to said housing. 
     
     
       16. The ribbon cassette as recited in claim 15, wherein said attachment means for securing said partitioning plate to said housing comprises releasable attachment means. 
     
     
       17. The ribbon cassette in accordance with claim 15, wherein said supply roll is disposed on said take-up roll, both of said rolls being integrally formed about said rotatable shaft. 
     
     
       18. The ribbon cassette in accordance with claim 15, further comprising a meshing gear disposed within said housing, said meshing gear adapted to cooperate with an external meshing gear, said meshing gear receiving ribbon dispensed by said supply roll and passing said ribbon to said take-up roll, whereby said meshing gears cause the ribbon to be positively advanced without slippage in its passage through the cassette.